Ewing sarcoma is a rare and deadly bone and soft tissue cancer that primarily affects children and young adults, with no current treatment options for its recurrent form, which has a near 100% death rate. CancerVax, Inc., in collaboration with a world-class team of cancer researchers and oncologists at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, has developed a promising new drug candidate specifically designed to treat this condition.
The drug, a bispecific antibody vaccine, is engineered to target and attach to Ewing sarcoma cancer cells, attracting the body's natural killer T-cells to the tumor for destruction. Extensive laboratory cell studies have shown that several candidates exhibited meaningful T-cell killing of Ewing sarcoma cells, indicating the vaccine's effectiveness in bringing T-cells to the tumor cells for destruction.
Dr. Noah Federman, co-principal investigator and Director of the Pediatric Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma Program at UCLA, has recommended that CancerVax proceed with IND (Investigational New Drug) enabling studies. These studies are necessary for preparing an application to the FDA for human clinical trials, which include toxicity experiments, manufacturing information, and clinical protocols.
Byron Elton, CEO of CancerVax, expressed optimism about the potential of cancer vaccines, stating, "Cancer vaccines, also known as cancer immunotherapies, are the latest weapons in the war against cancer. This new type of cancer drug uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. We believe this is a better way to treat cancer rather than the old methods of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery."
CancerVax's efforts represent a significant milestone in the fight against cancer, with the potential to save many children from this deadly disease and contribute to the broader goal of developing a Universal Cancer Vaccine that could benefit people of all ages suffering from various types of cancers.
